Hoop-forming machine.



E. W. ROBINSON. HOOP FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1915. l lwfifi fl Patented July 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. W. ROBINSON.

' HOOP FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18. 1915.

1 9 1 9&562 v Patented July 25, 1916.

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HOOP FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1915.

l 9 1 952,562,, Patented July 25, 1016.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

E. W. ROBINSON.

HOOP FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 311N518, 1915.

Patenfed July 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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k v /2 /0 /0 3 H x I wvgw ra {OM/ARC RQEMIJQSON' [by we 'r r'ORMa i as name EDWARD W. RUB IN SbN, 0F SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL BARREL COMPANY, OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, A CORPORATION OF GEORGIA.

HOOP-FORMING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. June 18, 1915. Serial 0. 34,855.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD W. R0BIN4 son, a citizen of the United States, residing in Savannah, Georgia, have invented certain Improvements in Hoop-Forming Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of certain improvements in the hoop forming machine constituting the subject of my application Serial N01946, filed January 7, 1915, one object of my present invention being to bend a straight, flat strip of sheet metal or other material longitudinally into hoop form, and laterally so that it presents flanges at an angle to one another, one of said flanges having a hollow rib thereon, and a further object is to efl'ect this result by a series of connected and continuous operations in one and the same machine. These objects I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the beginning of the operation of forming a hoop blank of the character described from a straight, fiat strip; Fig. 2 is a side view of the machine whereby such operation is performed; Fig. 3 is an end view of the machine looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the shafts and gearing of the machine; Fig. 5 is a top view on a larger scale than Fig. 2

of a bending guide constituting one of the elements of said machine; Fig. 6 is an end view of the same looking in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 5, and Figs. 7 ,8 and 9 are transverse sections of said bending guide, respectively, on lines a-a, b-b, and 0-0, Fig. 5.

The strip from which the hoop is to be produced is, in the first instance, flat as shown at a: in Fig. 1, and in passing through the machine has one of its edges gradually bent upward, as shown at 00, so that the strip, as it emerges from the machine, presents flanges m and m at a right angle to one another, the flange 00 having thereon a hollow rib m The strip in its passage through the machine is also bent longitudinally, as shown in Fig. 1, consequently, if the strip is of suflicient length and is subjected to the action of the machine throughout such length the resultant effect will be the production of a split hoop with its ends approaching or touching one another. The edgewise or longitudinal bending of the flange of causes the formation therein of radial wrinkles or corrugations, as shown in Fig. 1, said wrinkles or corrugations increasing in size from the base to the edge of the flange.

The machine'for producing a hook blank 01'' the character and by the method referred Fill and 5, respectively, and said spur wheelsv 3 and 5 mesh with corresponding spur wheels 4 and 6*: on the shafts 4: and 6, respectively. .The shaft 6 is provided with a feed roll 6 which serves as a friction driver for a roll 7 on the shaft 7, the flat strip 00 passing inthe first instance between these rolls 6 and 7 and said roll 7 having edge flanges 7 thereon which insure the passage oflfhe strip in a straight course between the r0 s.

The shafts 2 and carry, respectively,

rolls 2 and'3 which are retained in proper lateral relation to one another by means of a rib 2 on the roll 2 engaging with a groove 3 in the roll 3", said roll 2 also having a rib 2 which enters a groove 3 in the roll 3", as. shown in Fig. 3.

The shaft 4 drives, by means of bevel wheels 4* and 8 a vertical shaft 8 which is mounted in suitable bearings at the front of the machine, and is provided at its upper end with a horizontal roll 8 adjacent to the face of the roll 2, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, said bearing for the shaft 8 being preferably adjustable from and toward the face of the roll 3 by means of an adjusting screw 8, as shown in Fig. 3, the range of adjustment not being sufficient to interfere with the proper meshing of, the bevel wheels 4 and 8.

Before passing between the rolls 2 and 3 the strip passes through a bending guide consisting of a block 10 having that end adltd 7 adjustable forwardly and backwardly in.

jacent to the rolls 2 and 3 concaved at top and bottom so as to project between said rolls almost up to the bite of the same, as shown in Fig. 2, the upper concave face of i the block having therein grooves 10 and 10,

as shown in Fig. 5, for the reception, respectively, of the ribs 2 and 2 on the roll 2".

Extending longitudinally through the block 10 is a passage. comprising a vertical member 11 and a horizontal member 1 1 j oining said vertical member at the bottom of the same, as shown in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, one wall 12 of the member 11 ofv the passage being vertical and parallel with the longitudinal line of the block but the opposite wall 13 of said member 11 being parallel with the wall 12 only throughout its forward portion, and being thereafter inclined in respect to said wall 12 so that the member 11 of the passage through the block tapers from the. rear end of the block toward the forward end. The outer wall 13 of the passage member 11 is also inclined slightly in respect to the vertical from bottom to top, this inclina- I tion being greatest at the receiving end of the passage and gradually decreasing as it approaches the delivery end.

Beyond the rolls 2 are a pair of rollers .15 and 16, which overlap one another, the

roller 16 being below and in advance of the roller 15. The shafts of these rollers are slots 15 and 16 in a bearing plate 17 and should be provided with suitable means for retaining them'in proper longitudinal position after adjustment.

The strip w enters the passage through the block 10 in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 5, its right hand half occupying the member 14 of said passage and being vertically retained thereby and its left hand half lying on the bottom of the member 11 of the passage, which at the entrance is wide enough to permit this. As the strip advances, however, in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1', its left hand edge strikes the inclined wall 13 of the passage and is there'- by bent upwardly, as shown in- Figs. "7, 8 and 9, the strip as it leaves the forward end of the block presenting two flanges x and m at a right angle to one another. The gradual bending up of the left hand half of the strip from the horizontal to the vertical position is represented at w in Fig. 1, the I gradual change in the angle of this portion of the strip being represented by the gradual change in the angle of the shading lines applied thereto. a

The flange m of the strip passes between the rolls 2 and 3", which thereafter serve to draw the strip-through the block 10 and at the same time form the hollow rib c on the flange m by reason of the joint action of the rib 2 of the roll 2 and the groove 3 of the roll 3".

After the forward end. of the strip leaves the rolls 2 and 3 the flat portion of the flange m is entered betweenthe rolls 15 and 16, the emerging end of the strip being consequently compelled to turn upwardly owing to the fact that the bite of the rolls 15 and 16 is higher than that of the rolls 2 and consequently the diameter of the hoop blank to be produced may be varied by adjusting the rolls 15. and 16 from and toward the rolls 2 and 3 the effect being that the nearer said rolls 15' and 16 are to the roll 2 the less will be the diameter of the hoop and the farther said rolls l5 and 16 are away from the roll 2 the greater will be its diameter. While the strip is being subjected to theaction of the rolls 2 and 3 its vertical flange is pressed toward the face of the roll 2 by the horizontal roll 8", consequently there will be no deformation of said flange other than the slight buckling due to the edgewise bending of the same.

I claim:

1. In a machine for bending sheet metal strips,'a block having therethrough a longitudinal passage presenting horizontal and vertical members communicating with one another at the angle, the horizontal member receiving approximately one half of the width of the strip and being of'such dimen-= sions as to vertically confine the same, and the. vertical .member receiving approximately the other half of the width of the strip and being of such dimensions as to permit upward bending of the same, said vertical member having one longitudinal wall parallel with the longitudinal line of the block and the opposite longitudinal wall inclined in respect thereto, whereby it gradually approaches the first wall, from the lnlet end to the discharge end of the block,

said longitudinally inclined wall being also vertically inclined at its inlet end but said inclination gradually diminishing until at the discharge end said wall isparallel with the vertical wall, in combination with means for moving the sheet metal strip forwardly through said passage.

2: In a machine for bending sheet metal strips, a block having therethrough a longitudinal passage presenting ho izontal and vertical members communicatifig with one another at the angle, the horizontal member receiving approximately one half of the .width of the strip and being of such dimensions as to vertically confine the same, and the vertlcal member receiving approximately the other half of the with of the strip and being of such dimensions as to permit upward bending of the same, said vertical member having one longitudinal wall parallel with the longitudinal line of the block and the opposite longitudinal wall inclined in respect thereto, whereby it gradually approaches 'the first wall from the inlet end to the discharge end of the block, in combination with a roll for drawing the sheet metal strip through the passage in the block and a side roll for pressing upon the upturned flange of the strip, the delivery end'of said block having therein a concave recess for receiving a portion of said draft roll and another concave recess at a right angle to that first mentioned for receiving a portion of the side presser roll.

3. In a machine for bending sheet metal strips, a block having therethrough a longitudinal passage presenting horizontal. and vertical members communicating with one another at the angle, the horizontal member receiving approximately one half of the width of the strip and being of such dimensions as to vertically confine the same, and the vertical member receiving approximately the other half of the width of the strip and being of such dimensions as to permit upward bending of the same, said vertical member having one longitudinal wall parallel with the longitudinal line of the block and the opposite longitudinal wall inclined in respect thereto, whereby it gradually approaches the first wall from the inlet end to the discharge end of the block, in combination with a pair of rolls for drawing the sheet metal strip through the passage in the block and a side roll for pressing upon the upturned flange of the strip, the delivery end of said block having therein upper and lower concave recesses for receiving portions of said draft rolls and another concave recess at a right angle to those first mentioned for receiving a portion of the side presser roll. a

4. In a machine for bending sheet metal strips, a block having therethrough a longitudinal passage presenting horizontal and vertical members communicating with one another at the angle, the horizontal member receiving approximately one half of the Width of the strip and being of such dimensions as to vertically confine the same, and

the vertical member receiving approximately the other half of the width of the strip and being of such dimensions as to permit upward bending of the same, said vertical member having one longitudinal wall parallel with the longitudinal line of the block and the opposite longitudinal wall inclined in respect thereto, whereby it gradually approaches the first wall from the inlet end to the discharge end of the block, in combination with a roll for drawing the sheet metal strip through the passage in theblock, said roll having a convex rib thereon and the delivery end of the block having therein a concave recess for receiving a portion of said roll, said concave recess having therein a concave groove for receiving the convex rib on the roll.

5. In a machine for bending sheet metal strips, a block having therethrough a longitudinal passage presenting horizontal and vertical members communicating with one another at the angle, the horizontalmember receiving approximately one half of the width of the strip and being of such dimensions as to vertically confine the same, and the vertical member receiving approximately the other half of the width of the strip and being of such dimensions as to permit upward bending of the same, said vertical member having one longitudinal wall parallel with the longitudinal line of the block and the opposite longitudinal wall inclined in respect thereto, whereby it gradually approaches the first wall from the inlet end to the'discharge end of the block, in

combination with a roll for drawing the sheet metal strip through the passage in the block, said roll having thereon a convex rib and a square-faced rib, and the delivery end of the block having therein a concave recess for receiving a portion of said roll which concave recess has therein a concave groove for receiving the convex rib of the roll and a square-faced groove for receiving 

